Club bikes – Mike’s BMW R65LS

Mike started motorcycling while still at school where all the guys rode 50cc mopeds in the early 60’s. His ride was a Maroon two speed James with a 90cc Villiers engine.

Since then he has owned a 180cc twin Yamaha 180 electric as well as a Vespa. For the past eight years Mike has proudly owned his BMW R65LS that was bought from one of our other members of the classic motorcycle club. The bike was manufactured in November 1981 and originally sold in Mike’s school going town of Welkom in February 1982.

The bike runs very well with a hundred and ten thousand kilometers on the clock and is in very good condition. It has had some repairs done to it ie. A broken spring was replaced in the gear box and the seals were renewed at the same time. Some of the gears in the speedo had been clumsily repaired at some time so they were also professionally fixed . The front forks were serviced and checked and some minor paint touch ups have been done to keep the bike tidy.

6,389 BMW R65LS motorcycles were built between 1981 and 1985.
The bike is a typical BMW with a 650 cc engine, a slight difference being that it has a shorter stroke than standard (82×61.5mm) giving 50hp at 7,250 rpm. The top speed is estimated to be a 175kph but is kept well below that.
The fuel tank holds 22 liters and with a consumption of about 5 liters per hundred kilometers it can go far between fuel stops. For long distance touring the bike is equipped with two panniers for luggage. There seem to have been two colour schemes. Mike’s bike is black and grey with grey wheels and there is also a black and red with white wheels version.

Mike’s bike is as it was built except for the exhaust pipes as the original black pipes were poorly made and did not last long. The LS is ideal for the type of riding Mike does around the Cape Peninsula with the occasional foray into the countryside for the odd breakfast run.